International congress of byzantine studies belgrade, 22 27 august 2016

RHETORIC AND HISTORY – RHETORIC IN HISTORY. 
CREATING DISCOURSES IN BYZANTIUM – PART 2
Conveners: 
Stratis Papaioannou
, 
Anthony Kaldellis
Larisa Vilimonović
, 
The Importance of Being Doukas - 
Creation of an Alternative Imperial Discourse in the 12
th
Century Byzantium
Tomasz Labuk
, 
Niketas Choniates and the “Silence of History”: Historical Discourse on the Fringe
Milan Vukašinović
, 
Whose Ideology? Whose Rhetoric?
Matthew Kinloch
, 
Narratives, Significance, and Nodal-Points: The Many Battles of Pelagonia (1259)
Bojana Pavlovi
ć, 
Rhetoric in 
History
: Nikephoros Gregoras and His Portrayal of Andronikos II Palaiologos

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Larisa Vilimonović
University of Belgrade, Faculty of Philosophy, Belgrade, Serbia; 
[e-mail]
The Importance of Being Doukas - 
Creation of an Alternative Imperial Discourse in the 12
th
Century Byzantium
Story about the Doukases still presents the inscrutable case from the perspective of political 
discourses that were created in the 11
th
and 12
th
century Byzantine literature. The aura of the illustrious 
lineage, political power and, eventually, the imperial legacy of the Doukases 
oikos
has prevailed in 
the histories of both Nikephoros Bryennios and Anna Komnene. Specific political discourse about 
the preeminence of the Doukases over Komnenians was, I argue, initiated in the circle of cesar John 
Doukas and his friend Michael Psellos. First traces of the rhetoric of Doukases imperial legitimacy 
and their political agenda are apparent in Psellos 
Chronographia
, but it was fully elaborated in the 
12
th
century Byzantine histories. The Doukases’ discourse varied in between two most important 
political issues of the 11
th
and 12
th
century – the contentious disposition and destiny of the emperor 
Roman Diogenes and the struggle for preeminence of their imperial legitimacy over Komenain 
oikos
. This latter issue was the dominant discourse of the 12
th
century, although the problematic 
disposal of Diogenes and shameful act of the Doukases has turned into a legend and found its way 
to the 12
th
century Byzantine satire. Nevertheless, in some other literary compositions, association 
with the Doukases’ 
oikos
was regarded and celebrated as equal as if it was with the Komnenians. This 
discourse was created in the circle of cesar John’s granddaughter Eirene Doukaina, and it treasured 
and preserved that aura of political dominancy of the Doukases’ 
oikos
, although the facticity of their 
political endeavours does not come into terms with the picture that was created in this conspicuous 
alternative imperial discourse.